Marketing a culture of achievement to Black and Brown students: TNTP and neoliberal multiculturalism

Neoliberal multiculturalism is a racialization process that works as a unifying discourse for the rationalization of neoliberal policies. Invoking state multiculturalism, e.g., "diversity" or "equity," neoliberal multiculturalism is officially antiracist. Official antiracism portrays multiculturalism as being at its core while limiting discussions of race and racism to sanctioned racial discourses. We show how the ideology of neoliberal multiculturalism manifests in TNTP curriculum designed for NYC Teaching Fellows who teach students of color in lower-income urban public schools. We highlight three official antiracisms, namely, ethic of multiculturalism, categories of difference as legitimate knowledge, and controlling what counts as a race matter.